Featured Buyers: Em & Nick - From Zero Sailing Experience to Life Aboard
Meet Em & Nick, who bought a 40-foot sailboat with zero sailing experience and embarked on a journey toward full-time cruising and sailing around the world.
What if you quit your jobs, sold everything you owned, bought a 30-year-old sailboat, and moved aboard—even though you had never sailed before?
For Em and Nick, that's not a hypothetical question.
It's exactly what they did.
After purchasing their 40-foot monohull sailboat through Adventure Yacht Sales, Em and Nick decided to leave the traditional path behind and pursue something a little more adventurous: life aboard and, eventually, the dream of sailing around the world.
And they're documenting the entire journey along the way.
One Boat. One Big Dream. Zero Sailing Experience.
Em and Nick's story starts with a pretty incredible leap of faith.
They quit their jobs, sold everything they owned and bought a 30-year-old sailboat despite having zero sailing experience.
Then they moved aboard full time with their dog, Marley.
The ultimate goal?
To one day sail around the world.
But before they can cross oceans, there's a lot to learn.
Sailing a 40-foot boat is no small undertaking, especially when you're starting from scratch. Their journey isn't about pretending to have all the answers. It's about learning as they go, taking on the challenges of boat ownership and figuring out what it really takes to prepare a boat—and themselves—for bluewater cruising.
That's what makes their story so fun to follow.
The Adventure Starts Here
Buying a cruising sailboat can feel like the finish line.
You find the boat. You make the offer. You get through the survey and sea trial. The paperwork is signed, the boat is yours and suddenly you're ready to go.
But for Em and Nick, that's where the real adventure began.
Their plans included learning to sail, tackling boat projects, refitting their boat for bluewater cruising and adjusting to the realities of living aboard full time.
There would be successes, mistakes, unexpected challenges and plenty of lessons along the way.
And they decided to bring viewers along for all of it.
Then Came the Moment They Had to Leave the Dock
Buying a 40-foot sailboat with no sailing experience is one thing.
Actually taking it out of the marina is another.
For Em and Nick, that moment came when they set off on their first 10-day sailing trip with Captain Blaine, who joined them to provide a very literal crash course in their new boat.
Their route would take them from St. Pete down around the Florida Keys and back up the Florida coast. It was an ambitious first trip—and there was plenty to learn.
Before they could think about sailing across oceans, they needed to get comfortable with the basics of operating their new boat.
They worked on close-quarter maneuvers and docking, went over the engine, practiced handling the boat and tested their sails. They were learning not just how to sail, but the many little details that come with living and cruising aboard a 40-foot boat.
And then came their first leg:
St. Pete to Venice, Florida.
For experienced sailors, that might sound like just another trip.
For Em and Nick, it was a milestone.
It was the first time they were taking their new boat beyond the dock and beginning to experience the life they'd dreamed about.
And it was only the beginning.
Learning by Doing
One of the most interesting parts of following Em and Nick's journey is watching them learn in real time.
They're not presenting themselves as experienced sailors. Quite the opposite.
They're starting at the beginning and documenting the highs, the mistakes, the unexpected challenges and everything they're learning along the way.
From learning how to handle their boat to tackling projects and preparing for bluewater cruising, they're discovering what it really takes to make the transition from land life to life aboard.
That makes their journey relatable to anyone who has ever looked at a cruising sailboat and wondered:
“Could I actually do this?”
Em and Nick are finding out one lesson—and one nautical mile—at a time.
The Dream of Cruising the World
There is still a long way to go between buying your first sailboat and sailing around the world.
But every adventure has to start somewhere.
For Em and Nick, it started with a 30-year-old sailboat, a willingness to learn and the courage to completely change course.
Their immediate focus is on becoming confident sailors, preparing their boat and learning what it takes to live aboard full time. Eventually, they hope to take their boat farther afield and begin crossing oceans.
The dream is big.
But so was the decision to pursue it in the first place.
And that's what makes their story such a great example of the adventures that can begin with finding the right boat.
Why We Love Following Our Buyers
At Adventure Yacht Sales, we're fortunate to be part of the beginning of many different boating adventures.
Every buyer has a different reason for getting on the water.
Some are looking for weekend escapes. Some want to cruise seasonally. Others dream of extended voyages, offshore cruising or seeing the world from the deck of their own boat.
Em and Nick are chasing the big one.
They've taken a leap into an entirely new lifestyle with a long-term goal of sailing around the world—and we're excited to see where that adventure takes them.
What we love most is that they're not waiting until they feel completely ready.
They're learning.
They're preparing.
They're adapting.
And they're going.
That's what adventure is all about.
Follow Em & Nick's Journey
Em and Nick launched their YouTube channel to document their transition from complete sailing beginners to aspiring world cruisers.
Their videos offer a firsthand look at what it's really like to buy a sailboat, learn to sail from scratch, move aboard full time and prepare a boat for bluewater cruising.
From boat projects and sailing lessons to the inevitable mistakes and unexpected moments, they're documenting the process one week at a time.
If you've ever wondered what life aboard a sailboat is actually like—or dreamed about doing it yourself—it's worth following along.
Their story is a reminder that you don't have to know everything before you start.
Sometimes, you just have to be willing to take the first step.
From Beginner Sailors to Future World Cruisers
There will be plenty more miles to cover, skills to learn and projects to tackle before Em and Nick are ready to cross oceans.
But they've already done the hardest part.
They decided to go.
They left their jobs. They sold their belongings. They bought a boat. They moved aboard with Marley.
And then they left the dock.
For Adventure Yacht Sales, there's something pretty special about watching a boat we helped sell become the starting point for someone's next chapter.
Because the boat is never really the end goal.
It's what the boat allows you to do that matters.
For Em and Nick, that means learning to sail, exploring new places, building a life on the water and—someday—hopefully sailing around the world.
We can't wait to see where they go next.
Ready to Start Your Own Adventure?
Whether you're dreaming of weekend cruising, extended coastal adventures or eventually setting your sights on bluewater cruising, finding the right boat is the first step.
At Adventure Yacht Sales, we're here to help you find the boat that fits the adventure you're dreaming about.
Your adventure has to start somewhere.
Why not start here?
Explore our current yacht listings and start planning your next adventure with Adventure Yacht Sales.